JoAnn Danielson

JoAnn Danielson, age 83, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Aurora Medical Center, Kenosha. She was born in Oak Park, IL, July 20, 1943, the second of four children of Samuel Harris and Mary Jane (Nee: Nelson) Shevelson. She moved to Connecticut in 1946 and after the loss of her parents, JoAnn returned to Oak Park, where she was lovingly raised by her aunt and uncle, Mary Jane and William Nelson.

JoAnn graduated from Oak Park River Forest High School and went on to earn a degree in education from Ripon College where she met Michael Duffy. They were united in marriage on June 12, 1965, in Oak Park and were blessed with two children, Carl and Michele. Michael passed away after an extended illness on December 1, 1976. JoAnn later married John Danielson on October 8, 1977, in Manitowoc, WI. They were blessed with two daughters, Heidi and Jennifer. Work brought the family to Racine in 1989. JoAnn was employed by Racine Unified School District as an elementary school teacher for many years, retiring from SC Johnson Elementary School. She also enjoyed 25 plus years working part-time as a sales associate at Kohl’s Department Store.

JoAnn was a member of Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church. She enjoyed reading, knitting, crossword puzzles, and spending time outdoors. In her younger years she spent her free time bowling, golfing and working in the garden. JoAnn will be remembered as a gentle soul, someone who was always a good listener. She had a quick and sassy sense of humor, often sharing a well-timed comment that brought a smile to those around her. Above all, she treasured the time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who will be dearly missed.

Surviving are her husband, John; children, Carl (Mary) Duffy, Michele (Javier Alvaré) Duffy, Heidi (Darien) Pough, Jennifer (Gary) Stinson; 14 grandchildren, Alexandra, Joe, Michael, Jonathan, Autumn, Dillon, Ana, Aminah, Kylah, Micah, Isabelle, Camille, Isiah, and Neenah; 12 great grandchildren; siblings, Mary Lou Taylor, James (Susan) Shevelson; cousins, Billie Jane Robinson, Linda Hermann, Claudia Frey; in-laws, Sharon Shevelson, Margaret (David) Kindig, Bruce (Diane) Duffy, Scott (Mary) Duffy, Kathleen (Steven Krug) Duffy; nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends. In addition to her parents and first husband, Michael, she was preceded in death by her brother, Ned and her second parents, Mary Jane and William Nelson.

A memorial service will be held at Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church, 1700 S. Green Bay Rd. in Racine, WI on Friday, September 18th beginning at 11:00 am.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to all the staff at Parkside Manor that loved and cared for her. Also, an additional thank you to the many medical providers for their care and support over the years.